I dreamed of a no-win situation: was trapped and isolated on an island because the tide had risen much and left the submerged foot. The sea was very rough, with huge waves. Very afraid, climbed some rocks to find an abandoned house. I was not alone. There were friends and strangers. The days passed, the tide went down. Gradually, we began to believe that it was possible to go. Out of isolation and precarious situation.
Sometimes we do not see the way out of a conflict situation, even if it is in front of us. This is because in our archives of our memory something is missing, and insecure, we feel blocked. We failed in some previous experience similar to this current. Now again we feel confused, not knowing how to react. Missing successful learning. The output will emerge as we develop new resources, whether internal or by means of reflection and patience, whether external, external help we can find. Therefore, we must do everything to overcome our fears, because, if not, we will further strengthen the memory that we are unable.
This dream reveals the process of healing from trauma when the brain gradually creates images and sensations of relief and confidence that life returned to flow. Maybe, just ahead, arises another high tide, but if we have learned that the tides rise and fall, we will not feel more dead. But when the tide has low, yet we deal with it as if it were high, we are traumatized: remain alert even when the danger has passed.
According to the conception of trauma developed by Peter Levine - creator of the method Somatic Experiencing (SE) - the trauma is a mark left in the nervous system by an event in which we feel that we were unable to cope. That is, our survival skills were overcharged.
Why not just realize that the danger has passed? Because if the defense drives and attack had no time or opportunity to express themselves completely remain locked in our body. We may even know that the danger has passed, but did not feel that he has passed. As the saying goes, we are scalded cats!
We do not feel that the threat just because the physiological response on that traumatic event remains open, waiting for a solution: the energy that was not discharged remains in the body and the nervous system is unable to regain his balance.
But why the body does not follow the mind? Because we need to complete the body of the discharge cycle so that it exits the state of paralysis that came when he was dead.
How discharge? Supplementing the drain gestures or attack that were frozen. Trembling, sneezing, yawning, belching, farting, crying, sleeping a lot. As these physical responses are instinctive in our culture considered inappropriate and ugly, we just the blocked due to our rational conditioning. By the way, usually to apologize when they occur. Incredible as it may seem, if we can unload the physical stresses during a relationship discussion, we will be much more likely to come to an understanding, because our body will be to regulate conditions. Regulated, we can empathize. But while we're stuck in the attack mechanisms, flight or freezing will not have opening and emotional readiness to feel what happens inside and outside of us. To the extent that recovers the self-regulation of social interaction system back to rewire.
Note that not just discharge the energy paralyzed to recover from the trauma, we need to self-educate, that is, learn from lived experience. Bring to consciousness what we want and not want to repeat. Thus, when the tide rise, know what to tell us and what better way to lie down and let the wave pass!